On Saturday, November 16, 2019, the entire 2019 – 2020 Health Careers Ambassador Program cohort of students (73) welcomed The Kim Foundation® as a facilitator of a much-needed and well-received Stress Management Workshop. The Kim Foundation® (located in Nebraska) is an education and resource organization that strives to increase awareness around mental health and suicide prevention. Their vision is to promote a community free of suicide that embraces the importance of quality mental health services and prevention.
According to the literature, mental health problems can affect many areas of students’ lives, reducing their quality of life, academic achievement, physical health, and satisfaction with the high school/college experience, and negatively impacting relationships with friends and family members. These issues can also have long-term consequences for students, affecting their future employment, earning potential, and overall health.
Katie Zimmerman (Project Coordinator – The Kim Foundation®) provided a comprehensive and interactive stress management workshop where HCOP students got to learn about and demonstrate mindfulness, meditation, identifying stress factors, etc. Students participated in meditation sessions and learned more about how to consciously practice mindfulness in their everyday lives. And by the way, HCOP staff joined in on the meditation sessions as well. Another extremely vital portion of the workshop covered suicide prevention – demographical statistics (shocking), verbal/behavioral triggers, signs of someone in need, contact resources, and much more.
Overall, the workshop was a huge success and it’s safe to say that everyone felt more relaxed, more aware and more prepared to face mental health in the future!
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